ICC World Cup 2019: England's probable 30-member preliminary squad

England will be one of the favourites going into the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. They have the favourites tag not because of them playing hosts to the mega piece event but for the brand of cricket they have played in the last three years. It all started with a disastrous 2015 World Cup where they failed to qualify to the knock-outs.

Despite the world fast-tracking towards T20 cricket, England continued playing Test brand of cricket. Although it reaped rewards in the longest form, they couldn't win in the limited-overs format. With England appointing a new captain just weeks for the 2015 World Cup, they never seemed threatening.

A first-round exit served as a blessing in disguise, as they revamped their playing style and squad. They adopted an aggressive brand of cricket and that has paid rich dividends. Post-2015 World Cup, England have made four of the top five highest scores in an innings which includes three 400+ totals. England also have the best Win-loss ratio since the 2015 World Cup.

Let us look at the possible 30 players who might make it to the World Cup Probables list.

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Batsmen: Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Joe Denly, James Vince and Ollie Pope

Their batting lineup shows relentless hitting from ball one and that is the main cause of posting huge totals. A fearless approach has been the feature of this batting line-up as they keep scoring boundaries even in the middle overs. The competition for the batting slots was evident when Hales was dropped against India after scoring 147 a few weeks earlier to accommodate all-rounder Ben Stokes.

All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, David Willey

England's strength in recent years has been the quality of all-rounders they have produced. They have players like Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali who can bat in the top-7 and also bowl eight to ten overs. Their squad will be filled with bowling all-rounders who have contributed to the success of England with the bat and can win games on their day with the bat as well. Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and David Willey are such players.

Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler, Alex Davies, Sam Billings and Jonny Bairstow

Wicketkeepers in Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, who can also keep wickets, are regulars in the ODI XI and can push for a place in the eleven purely as a batsman as well. In Sam Billings, they have an able back-up who has the versatility to open the batting and can come in the middle to tackle spinners with ease.

Butler will be key for England during World cup

Spinners: Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Jack Leach, Danny Briggs, Dominic Bess

Adil Rashid has been picking up wickets regularly in the middle overs. In fact, post-2015 World Cup he is the second highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 116 wickets in 69 Innings. With Moeen, he has formed a brilliant partnership to squeeze runs and pick wickets during the second powerplay. England have been trying the likes of Liam Dawson and Jack Leach who have done well in the domestic arena.

Fast bowlers: Tom Curran, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett, Chris Jordan, Jake Ball, Jofra Archer, Harry Gurney, Jamie Porter

Fast bowling stocks in the English circuit shows quality and variety. Chris Jordan has been their go-to death bowler and has gained experience through playing in various leagues. England have also tweaked their eligibility criteria which have made Jofra Archer available for selection. The likes of Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, and Tom Curran have been a regular feature in the limited overs and are expected to play a big part in the 2019 World Cup.

Archer will play a big role during World cup if selected in the squad

England's lower-order has been impeccable with the bat. Having scored most runs, most 100+ partnerships, most 50+ partnerships at an average of 42 in the last three years, they are far better than any other team. England also have two or three players in the top seven, who can contribute with the ball. With such depth in the squad, this got to be the best chance for England to win their first ever World Cup.